Archive for food

What if your doctor told you there was a prescription to dramatically lower your risk of cancer? Or increase your chances of survival if diagnosed? All the while lowering your risk of heart disease and diabetes. What would you say? And what if that same prescription was food? Food that was delicious and simple to prepare. That is what we call Food for Life.

We now know that 35-60% of cancers are diet related. We also know that a plant-based diet high in fiber, low in saturated fats, and rich in whole foods is the best prescription for cancer prevention. By the way, this same way of eating will lower your cholesterol, reduce your risk for heart attack and diabetes, and lower your weight. Sounds like a prescription with side effects you want, right?

So what does this look like on your plate? You start with the new four food groups and build your plate from there. Vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes form the Power Plate, our answer to the food pyramid. Breakfast may be cinnamon apple oatmeal, lunch could be a veggie wrap with soup, and dinner may be pasta marinara, a salad with chocolate mousse for dessert. How does that sound? Pretty delicious, right? It is! This is what we call Food For Life.

Want to know more? Check out our website at http://www.cancerproject.org or sign up for one of our local Food for Life classes. During a Food for Life class, our goal is to empower the participants and their families with easy to implement cooking skills to help them turn every meal into a healthy dose of nutrition. You learn more of the how and why about how food fight cancer and get to sample all the food made during the class. Healthy made easy for everyone.

Except for my upcoming classes (which I really hope you will all check out!!!) I have not been writing. It is summer vacation and I am having a wonderful break with my family! So no excuses here but not much time for posting as of late. I did just complete another amazing program and my next post will have all the exciting details. That will be coming soon.

In the meantime, let me share a new little indulgence of mine. One small scoop of Coconut Ice Cream (Vanilla Bean flavor) with a handful of pecans topped with a dash of maple syrup and a dash of cinnamon. I know what you’re thinking, one scoop of ice cream, really? My answer is YES! That is all you need because with the nuts and maple syrup, it’s heaven in a bowl. It’s also scrumptious with fresh berries! So when it’a really hot and everyone else is eating ice cream, treat yourself to this little gem. I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Join us in exploring how a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, grains, and legumes can enhance your health and support your overall wellness goals. Learn how to gain control of your health through simple steps in the kitchen.

Please join me for the single introductory class of How Foods Fight Cancer. Click on link below for details.

Join us in exploring how a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, grains, and legumes can enhance your health and support your overall wellness goals. Learn how to gain control of your health through simple steps in the kitchen.

This four series class for The Cancer Project is being offered at Blue Ridge Community and Technical College. Please visit link below for details.

For those of you who know me, you know I am more of a savory eater. Given a choice, I prefer salty over sweet almost everytime. But every once in a while, I get a little itch for something yummy and sweet. So what’s a girl to do? I whip up this little magic potion to satisfy the sweet tooth inside us all.

In a small bowl, pour a few tablespoons of pure maple syrup then add raw cocoa powder to it. Add a little at a time and whip it together until you get the right consistency and flavor for you. That’s it.

It’s is so sinfully delicious, you won’t believe it. So only two ingredients stand between you and this brownie batter tasting sauce that you can put on about anything. I like it on raw pecans and walnuts or on strawberries. My son likes it on graham crackers and on top of his coconut ice cream. My husband dips bananas in it. Whatever you choose, you know it’s free of additives and artificial flavors. It’s real food so enjoy! Now, please remember maple syrup is naturally very sweet so don’t overdo it. I have never had anyone not LOVE this little gem. I first saw this recipe in the Raw Food Detox Diet book by Natalia Rose. It is an outstanding book! It’s where I got my training wheels in raw foods, where that adventure began for me. For anyone looking to incorporate more raw into their diet, it is worth a look.

Our new favorite place to eat is a small, family run Indian restaurant. For all the locals, it’s called Sitar of India in Hagertsown. We even have Willson asking to go there it’s so delicious. Indian food can be quite good for you, spices like turmeric have numerous health benefits. I never thought I would try to make Indian food myself but today I did…and it was awesome! I had a bunch of chickpeas I prepared earlier in the week so I needed to use them. I didn’t want hummus and the cold rain we are having made me really want something comforting and warm. So I started looking for recipes. I found a few that looked good but the coconut milk in this Chana masala just looked scrumptious! Here’s the link for the recipe…

Well, I have to declare a little success today. My son, the non vegetable eating machine that he is, voluntarily ate zucchini. Better yet, he LOVED IT! How about that? I have tried every trick from every book and nothing has worked. I’ve blended, pureed, and hidden my share of vegetables into sauces, muffins, smoothies, and the list goes on but he always knows. This time, the zucchini tasted so yummy cooking that he asked for a bite. And he liked it! Here’s the very simple recipe.

Start by peeling your zucchini with a vegetable peeler. Once you have the skin off, continue “peeling” the zucchini with the peeler and put the shavings in a bowl. You will have almost ribbon like noodles. Heat the coconut oil in a pan, add garlic. As the garlic becomes fragrant, add the sesame seeds. Cook until they start to turn golden brown. Add the zucchini and salt. Cook until the noodles are heated through, just a minute or two. You’re done!

How easy is that? You can eat them plain or top them with sauce. You could try squash instead of zucchini or mix the two. In the summer when there is an overabundance of these two veggies, I make a lot of this dish. I add crushed red pepper for a kick or a little lemon juice for a zing. This recipe is my adapted version from Thrive Foods by Brendan Brazier. It’s an amazing book by an amazing vegan athlete! Enjoy.